1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an authentication apparatus and an authentication system.
2. Related Art
Recently, a variety of equipment have adopted personal authentication for a user of the equipment, and attempts have been made to utilize, for the user authentication, various information of a password, an IC card, a fingerprint, a vein and the like. In using a password for the authentication, however, when the password is known by a third party, the third party can be an impostor. In using what is called a physical key such as an IC card for the authentication, when the IC card is stolen, a third party can be an impostor by using information stored in the IC card. On the other hand, biometric authentication information of a fingerprint or a vein is peculiar to each person, and therefore, the authentication using such information can be improved in the safety and the reliability as compared with those of the other authentication methods using a password or the like. Accordingly, personal authentication using biometric authentication information (biometric data) such as fingerprint information, signature information or finger or palm vein information has been recently widely employed and earnestly studied.